The owner of Dundee’s Wave 102 has bought Abderdeen station Original 106 and Fife’s Kingdom FM.

DC Thomson Media acquired Wave in 2017 and is the owner of newspapers including The Press and Journal and The Courier.

Mike Watson, Chief Executive Officer for DC Thomson Media, said: “These acquisitions firmly position us as the largest Scottish-owned radio group. We’re excited to have brought these two great stations in to our radio portfolio and look forward to working with the teams there to strengthen the offering to listeners, and provide them with quality local news content.”

Adam Findlay, Managing Director of Original, will join DC Thomson Media as Head of Radio. He told RadioToday: “Both John Quinn and I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Original 106 success story and recognise that for the station to enjoy continued growth and further expansion, it needs to become part of something bigger. DC Thomson Media is the best place for this to happen.

“The Original 106 team are amongst the best in the business and this coupled with the strength and talents of DC Thomson Media team will make for a strong and progressive partnership with the ultimate aim of delivering the very best client solutions”.

As Head of Radio for DC Thomson Media, Adam will oversee all aspects of the radio operation across the DC Thomson Media radio portfolio of Wave, Kingdom and Original.

Kingdom FM Chairman Robert Kilgour, who is choosing to step away from radio, said, “DC Thomson Media are the ideal buyers for the station as they clearly have an understanding of the market in which Kingdom operates, and can take the station to the next level. We believe that this acquisition is good for the Kingdom’s listening audience, for our advertisers and shareholders, and our very hardworking staff.”

We’ve been bought out by @dct_media who publish the Press and Journal and Evening Express.

South West London commercial station Radio Jackie is celebrating 50 years of serving its local area.

The station started life as a pirate in 1969, with occasional programmes. The first transmission was just 30 minutes long before it expanded to a weekly broadcast. It was created by current owner and founder Tony Collis.

It pre-dated Independent Local Radio in the UK and was raided by the authorities more than once. In 1983 Radio Jackie launched a full 24 hours a day service with Dave Pearce and Paul McKenna amongst the people involved in their early careers.

As a pirate, it operated with full-time staff, high street offices and the support of locals. In 1984 a petition, calling for the station to be given a licence, was signed by over 55,000 people and supported by many local councillors and the MP for Mitcham and Morden.

The Radio Authority awarded a commercial radio licence to Thames Radio in 1996, leaving Radio Jackie disappointed. However, the subsequent misfortunes of Thames turned out to be an opportunity for Radio Jackie when the original management team behind Radio Jackie re-formed to purchase the loss-making station.

Following the acquisition of Thames in March 2003, the station’s output was completely revamped to include live local presentation around the clock and local news every hour. In July 2003 the station moved to new studios in Tolworth and on Sunday 19 October 2003 the station re-launched as Radio Jackie – the Sound of South West London.

The BBC’s Director of Radio and Music, Bob Shennan, is to become the corporation’s Managing Director from next month.

Bob is a former Controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music, having rejoined the BBC in 2009 following a short spell with Channel 4. Before that he had a long career in BBC Sport as a producer, Head of Sport and later Head of Radio 5 Live from 2000 to 2008. He has been Director of Radio and Music since October 2016. Bob is also a former Chair of the Radio Academy.

In an email to staff, Director General Lord Hall said: “Bob’s a great leader: he enables people working for him to give of their best – and he’s proved time and again in sport, in radio and in music how formidable and collaborative he is. I want the BBC to be the best led, best managed and most creative media company in the world. Bob Shennan’s appointment will help deliver just that.”

Bob will be responsible for strategy, policy, legal, commercial rights, business affairs, partnerships.

Lord Hall added: “He’ll also have a wider remit, joining up our corporate leadership, supporting our creative ambition and co-ordinating what we’re doing between our commercial and public service operations. He’ll also work with the output directors to develop and deliver a new broadcasting talent strategy – something that will lead to stronger relationships and opportunities for new and emerging talent to show what they can do.

James Purnell, Director of Radio & Education at the BBC added: “Bob has made a huge difference to BBC Radio and Music. Just in the last year, he’s pulled off the BBC’s most ambitious live music event in The Biggest Weekend, worked with the Controllers to transform the daytime schedules of Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music and played a leading role in launching BBC Sounds, challenging the emerging global gatekeepers in music and radio. He’s been a fantastic colleague, caring about the well-being of everyone in R&M and shaping the BBC’s culture and relationships with presenters. All those areas are at the heart of his new role, so we’ll be working closely with him in the years to come.”

Mr Purnell said in an email to staff that he wasn’t planning any major changes to the department’s structure. “We have an exemplary leadership team in Radio & Music,” he said. “And I’ll be getting together with them in the coming days to talk about how we continue to work together.”

Mix96 is celebrating Green Month throughout March and is sending its breakfast show presenters to France in an electric vehicle.

Ben Moseby and Nia Visser are driving from Aylesbury to its twin-town of Bourg-en-Bresse in a Nissan Leaf – a round trip of 1200 miles.

The duo set off on Tuesday morning and Ben tells RadioToday: “I hold the Guinness world record for naming Beatles songs from their opening lyrics so it can’t be harder than that right? ….Right?”

Nia adds: “I’ve bought snacks and drinks and I’ve researched some of the best cheese shops in Bourg-en-Bresse so I feel pretty confident this trip will be a success”

Whilst there, they’ll be the focus of an official reception by the town’s Mayor and will go on-air with Radio Scoop – the local commercial radio for Bourg-en-Bresse.

As well as celebrating Green Month, Mix96 is also celebrating it’s 25th birthday this year. MD Max Hailey says: “It’s amazing to be at the heart of our community and now we’re extending our reach by going to our twin-town.

Absolute Radio is running a bespoke campaign with Maldon Sea Salt called The Hometime Chip Shop Tour.

The project, spanning radio, digital and social, will see afternoon presenters Bush and Ritchie travel to chip shops during this week.

Hitting the road in a specially-commissioned Maldon Salt mobile truck, The Hometime Chip Shop Tour with Maldon® Salt kicked off in Edinburgh on Monday, and will be stopping at local landmarks and tourist attractions.

Simon Kilby Chief Revenue Officer Bauer Media said: “Our insight and understanding of Absolute Radio’s audience of ‘reluctant adults’ coupled with our programming expertise, has delivered a unique campaign seamlessly celebrating the best of Britain up and down the country with Maldon Salt, underpinned by Absolute Radio’s inimitable sense of humour, across radio, digital and social.”

Steve Osborne, Managing Director of Maldon Salt said: “Perfect seasoning is as good as it gets for Fish & Chips. Being a British family business since 1882, we glow with pride over traditions, so partnering with Absolute Radio on The Hometime Chip Shop Tour was the perfect fit.

“It has been the ultimate experience to celebrate the heritage of this nation, and Britain’s favourite dish.”

The winner of The Hometime Chip Shop Tour with Maldon® Salt will be decided by the Hometime listeners and will be awarded a bespoke ad created by Absolute Radio, voiced by the winning shop with Absolute Radio talent and a trophy designed by listeners.

The campaign was brokered by The Village Communications and runs from 18th – 22nd March covering Edinburgh, Sunderland, Blackpool, Nottingham and Canvey Island. The campaign encompasses radio (with bespoke on-air branded content), a dedicated hub online and social activity: #hometimechiptour.

The 2BR licences, which are for the Blackburn, Burley & Pendle and Preston, Chorley & Leyland areas of Lancashire, all broadcast as 2BR and share the same programming.

Ofcom said 2BR was exceeding its requirements to broadcast 10 hours a day of locally made programmes, as all of its output was broadcast locally from studios in Accrington, with the exception of evening programming, which comprised continuous music and was produced at UKRD’s Minster FM studios in York.

Produced by a team of three in-house journalists, separate local news bulletins for each of the three different licence areas were broadcast, with the content of the bulletins tailored to each locality. On weekdays, local news bulletins of approximately two minutes duration were broadcast at the top of the hour between 06.00 and 19.00, with headlines at 07.30, 08.30 and 17.30.

This represented an over-delivery of local news by 2BR, since the station Formats only require local news to be provided at peak-time. At weekends, local news was provided hourly between 09.00 and 14.00, in accordance with the Format requirement.

Local traffic and travel bulletins were broadcast every 20 minutes during weekday peak-time, with hourly bulletins also provided up to 22.00. Local weather forecasts were broadcast every hour during live programming, and local ‘what’s on’ information was broadcast three times per day.

Regular community engagement (such as on-air appeals and local “hero” awards) were also a regular feature of 2BR’s output.

Under new ownership, the station will reduce locally made hours to three per weekday, and share those with Capital Manchester. The rest of the output, 21 hours per weekday and 24 hours each Saturday and Sunday, will come from London.

During peak-time programming, Capital Lancashire will feature twice-hourly traffic and travel updates and hourly weather updates, with ad hoc updates during the rest of the station’s output.

There will also be localised presenter links to promote local events and happenings. Local news bulletins, of approximately 90 seconds duration, will generally be compiled from Global’s regional newsroom in Manchester, and broadcast from 06.00 to 19.00 on weekdays and from 06.00 to noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Two separate local bulletins will be produced – one for the Burnley & Pendle licence and the other for the Preston and Blackburn licences.

The new owners also plan to introduce a specialist dance remix show “The Capital Weekender with Ministry of Sound” on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ofcom said: “Based on our assessment of the station’s output in the three months prior to the change of control, we do not believe that the 2BR licences were broadcasting any programming not already reflected in the existing requirements of each station’s Format which would, in our view, have a significant impact upon:

• the quality and range of programmes included in the service;
• the character of the service; and,
• the extent to which local material and locally-made programmes are included in the service.

Therefore, we are not proposing any variations to the licences.”

Capital Lancashire will launch on April 8th after two weeks of teasing starting March 25th.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ofcom-approves-2brs-upcoming-change-to-capital/feed/17https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ofcom-approves-2brs-upcoming-change-to-capital/Apple FM saved from closure with new board and volunteershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/hjfQggq19nc/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/apple-fm-saved-from-closure-with-new-board-and-volunteers/#commentsMon, 18 Mar 2019 19:15:16 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217841<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="600" height="300" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/apple.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" /></div>Taunton community radio station Apple FM has been saved from closure just over a week before it was due to close.

Taunton community radio station Apple FM has been saved from closure just over a week before it was due to close.

The news comes after a crisis meeting was held on Sunday (17th March) with the directors and volunteers. A new board of directors was formed and a new team of volunteers has stepped up take on the responsibility to keep the station running.

A spokesman for the station told RadioToday: “Things have been moving very quickly since we announced our closure. This was not a publicity stunt and we truly believed there was no way forward when we planned to close. Since then we have been inundated with people wanting to help, including former staff, which has been very touching.

“Going forward we still have some mountains to climb to remain on air, but with our new injection of help and support our future looks more promising.

“We would also like to thank our listeners for the many messages of support, it has been extremely humbling to see how many people consider us an important part of the Taunton community.”

Bauer Media Group has appointed Phil Riley as Senior Independent Advisor to the recently acquired Lincs FM, Celador Radio and Wireless Local Stations.

In this new role, Phil will advise and support the interim Managing Directors and CEOs whilst the CMA completes its review and the businesses continue to operate as stand-alone entities.

Phil Riley was most recently on the Board at Celador, before it was sold to Bauer Media. He’s held a number of senior roles across the industry including at Chrysalis Radio and Orion Media.

In addition, he is a Fellow of The Radio Academy and has sat on the boards of the Digital Radio Development Bureau, Radiocentre and RAJAR.

Phil Riley tells RadioToday: “I’m delighted to have been asked to step in and help in this unique situation. The radio stations concerned are some of the best local operations around with a great set of teams running them. If I can help keep them focused on delivering great programming and sales for the next period whilst the CMA review takes place, I’m happy to do so.”

Paul Keenan, CEO Bauer Media and European Radio commented: “Phil is uniquely placed for this role given his extensive experience within the radio industry and direct knowledge of Celador Radio. In compliance with the CMA, Phil will be completely independent of Bauer.“.

A new classical music chart has launched on Scala Radio – the Scala Singles Chart countdown – each Saturday at 10am.

The Top 20, compiled by the Official Charts Company, reveals the most streamed classically inspired songs from the past week.

The Official Scala Singles Chart is based on classically influenced tracks, including music from the classical genre, plus orchestral versions of popular music. Only tracks released within the past 12 months are eligible, and only two chart entries per artist are permitted.

Leading the way at Number 1 on this week’s chart is Andrea Bocelli’s Amo Soltanto Te ft. Ed Sheeran, taken from his latest album Si – the first classical record to top the Official Albums Chart in 21 years.

Andrea appears again at Number 4 with Ali Di Liberta, and a 5 as a featured artist on Josh Groban’s We Will Meet Once Again, a track from his 2018 album Bridges.

Join @simonmayo for the Official Scala Singles Chart countdown – the top 20 most streamed and downloaded classically inspired tracks from across the UK over the past week, as compiled by the @officialcharts

The BBC is asking for volunteers to take redundancy in its Radio & Music Production and Operations department to help cut 50 jobs.

The roles will go from a workforce of 706 people working in locations including Salford, Birmingham and London.

But production teams for Radio 1, 1Xtra, the Asian Network, and 6 Music will not be affected, staff have been told in an email on Friday afternoon.

The Ops department has been asked to release savings to meet corporate efficiency targets and to reinvest in the key strategic objective of attracting more young listeners and viewers to BBC services over the next two years.

They’ve been told to address the costs which have been rising faster than income.

This is all part of the savings required by all BBC stations towards the £800m needed by the BBC by 2021/2022.

A two-year plan will now commence within the BBC to modernise Production, reduce hierarchies, increase collaboration between teams, devolving decision making and further driving up productivity.

As part of that process, the BBC is bringing together drama teams across England in a single unit.

On the proposed changes to BBC Radio and Music Production, a BBC Radio spokesperson told RadioToday: “Across the organisation we are making savings in order to meet the financial challenges the BBC faces. The proposed changes will deliver savings without reducing the number of production hubs around England or the range of high quality content that the teams produce for and pitch to BBC Radio. We hope to avoid compulsory redundancies.”

Long-serving BBC local radio presenter Sue Sweeney has made a sudden exit from BBC Newcastle.

Sue started work at BBC Radio Cleveland over 20 years ago before moving to Newcastle where she hosted a number of different programmes. She was most recently hosting weekends.

No mention was made of her impending departure during her last programme, with Sue telling listeners she’ll be back as usual ‘next week’. This has left fans believing Sue was told of her exit after her last show.

Sue tweeted today (Monday) to say it is time to hang up her headphones and move on to pastures new.

Original BBC Radio 5 Live presenter and reporter John Inverdale is leaving the station today.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday afternoon will be his last presenting duty.

John started his radio career at BBC Radio Lincolnshire in 1982 before joining BBC Radio 2 as a sports reporter. He then went on to host Sport on 5 and was one of the main regular presenters on 5 Live when it launched in 1994.

In an email to staff, Bob Shennan said: “Sports coverage on BBC Radio (and television) is the envy of the world, and that is often down to its first-rate presenters and commentators. John Inverdale is one broadcaster who’s calm, warm, empathetic style is a masterclass in sports presentation and interviewing. He was a driving force behind the successful launch of Radio 5 Live 25 years ago. In fact its very tone and style was based on John’s own presentation style.

“I worked alongside him for many years and have no hesitation is saying he has been the pre-eminent Radio Sports presenter of his generation-truly one of the ”greats”.

John Inverdale

“For more than thirty years he has brought the highs and lows of sporting endeavour to a grateful nation. Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup will be John’s final presenting duty for Radio 5 Live. He has done an amazing job for the BBC and we, and his listeners, will miss him.”

John Inverdale gets his present from the Bbc radio 5 live team as he prepares to present his last cheltenham festival! Top bloke! pic.twitter.com/m2FCXs9LiH

It's the end of an era today as the superb John Inverdale, one of our great sport broadcasters, signs off as the host of the @bbc5live@CheltenhamRaces Festival coverage after 30 years anchoring the BBC Radio coverage. He deserves the fondest of fond farewells.

Such mixed emotions ending the week. Been fantastic but John Inverdale picks up the presenters mic for the last time @CheltenhamRaces@bbc5live .They say no one is irreplaceable but he challenges that maxim. Creative, incisive, challenging, funny, poetic. He has the lot.

Host Stuart Clarkson talks all things commercial radio in Scotland with Original 106 and Central FM MD Adam Findlay plus consultant and former presenter Colin Kelly.

Stuart and Roy Martin look over the other big stories of the week in the radio industry; James Cridland shares his thoughts on what podcasting can teach radio; and David Lloyd has more Radio Moments from the archive.

(With special thanks to Ian Deeley, who’s helped us try out some new processing for the podcast this week too!)

This is just one of the weekly podcasts produced and published by RadioToday, sponsored by Broadcast Bionics. See our archive on the RadioToday Programme channel here.

If you’d like to suggest a topic for discussion, or join in one of our regular round-table shows, please email newsdesk@radiotoday.co.uk.

You may remember the story we brought you a few years ago from Matt Webb, Cambridge 105 Radio’s Head of Production and Saturday Breakfast presenter about his battle with mental ill health which led him to a spell of being out of work.

With the recent news of increased networking across the commercial radio sector and the potential impact job losses could have on affected people’s mental health, Matt has kindly written us this article to share.

“Networking… yes, that dreaded word that sends shivers down the spines of radio presenters. It’s a word that instills uncertainty and fear on many of those working in the industry when banded around in conversations by the water cooler.

But the reality is, it’s here – it’s now. While there are others who are in a more appropriate position to discuss the pros and cons of networking a series of breakfast shows and reducing the number of drive slots on various stations, what often gets overlooked are the presenters, producers and backroom staff, many of whom, will be out of work come the end of the year. The personal impact.

You may be thinking ‘so what’s someone who works in community radio got to do with it, you’ve not been put out of work by networking’. While that may be true, what I am is a human being just like you are reading this. I’ve been out of work myself in the past which led me to suffer from mental ill health – and after a period time managed to get through it with a mixture of supportive people and the power of words.

I remember being in that dark place, a really dark place, where I didn’t know what to do, what the next day would bring, how I’d be able to afford to run the car, the list goes on. If you feel like that, so low that you’re struggling to get up in the morning – or feel you’re bottling up so many negative feelings, please talk to someone. Whether that be a trusted friend, family member or popping to see your GP – don’t let the anguish overpower you. I’ve been there and I’m not ashamed to say it’s happened to me, but I wouldn’t want anyone to get to the low place I did, all those years ago.

As part of my award-winning Talking Men radio series on Cambridge 105 Radio, I discussed the issue of mental health, particularly in men, and there’s still a feeling that talking about issues that affect you or showing any form of emotion would somehow make you look weak. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We all have feelings, so don’t be afraid to express them. Remember, you’re a great person, an amazing person. Yes, I mean you. You have incredible communication skills, the power to keep people listening to your voice; you can paint pictures that resonate in people’s minds, make listeners laugh and sometimes cry, you’ve been that voice who’s got someone through a traffic jam and above all, you have people around you who care. You’re awesome.

There’s sometimes a feeling of ‘them against us’ – whether that’s community vs commercial radio, BBC vs commercial radio, I could go on. But the reality is we’re all one extended family who set out to entertain and give the listener a service and a choice. Whether that’s 200 people listening to a community station or 20,000+ to a commercial one, to coin a well-known phrase ‘we’re all in it together’.

My admiration goes out to the many presenters, producers and behind the scenes staff, who, despite the recent news, are continuing to put out great content and provide their listeners with a valuable service.

Many of these people I know personally in the industry and I’m proud to say I’ve been neighbours to some of them on the radio dial myself. They’re good people who I’m sure will flourish wherever their next journey takes them – to their next gig in radio or beyond.”

Matt Webb is the Head of Production and Saturday Breakfast presenter on Cambridge 105 Radio.

Lauren Laverne has been named Radio Broadcaster of the Year at the 45th Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

The national breakfast presenter was honoured for her work on BBC Radio 6 Music as well as Desert Island Discs and Late Night Woman’s Hour, both on BBC Radio 4.

The chair of the BPG radio jury, Julian Clover, said: “Our winner moves seamlessly between speech and music radio. She’s been tasked with presenting two of the big beasts of Radio 4… and, after presenting the mid-morning show on BBC Radio 6 Music, her move to breakfast was described by one of our judges as a big step forward for the music content and a welcome step away from obligatory breakfast banter.”

And the award for Radio Programme of the Year went to Tara and George, presented by Audrey Gillan from BBC Radio 4, which explores the lives of two people in their late forties who sleep rough in London.

The BPG Awards lunch took place today (Friday) at Banking Hall in the City of London, attended by
the winners, BPG members and broadcasting executives.

They are given only for work commissioned or produced in the UK and are highly prized by programme-makers because they are selected independently by TV and radio correspondents, critics and previewers.

Jake Kanter, BPG Chair, said: “These awards are now a 45-year-old institution, and we think they are the most democratic in the land. No tedious judging panels, no political lobbying, just a list of the best TV and radio shows of 2018, voted for by people whose job it is to write about TV and radio for a living. In fact, this year, we had a record number of votes, which is testament to the enduring qualities of the BPG and the brilliance of the output.”

Earlier this week, Nicholas Parsons CBE received the Harvey Lee Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, and attended the lunch with members of his family.

As previously announced, the award recognises his seven decades of TV and radio entertainment, and in particular his contribution to one of the BBC’s longest-running programmes, Just A Minute on BBC Radio 4, which he has chaired for over 50 years.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/6-musics-lauren-laverne-named-radio-broadcaster-of-the-year/feed/6https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/6-musics-lauren-laverne-named-radio-broadcaster-of-the-year/Reform Radio partner with Jägermeister for new studio spacehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/5oIPtHvoGqs/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/reform-radio-partner-with-jagermeister-for-new-studio-space/#respondThu, 14 Mar 2019 20:39:34 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217782<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="1600" height="1066" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/reform.jpeg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/reform.jpeg 1600w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/reform-600x400.jpeg 600w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/reform-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/reform-645x430.jpeg 645w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></div>Jägermeister and Reform Radio have announced a new partnership, coming together to open the Jäger X Reform Studio, a new shared music space in Manchester.

Jägermeister and Reform Radio have announced a new partnership, coming together to open the Jäger X Reform Studio, a new shared music space in Manchester.

The Jäger X Reform Studio will sit within the new home for Reform Radio, housing two studios, an office and a modular event space for workshops, events and networking. The partners plan to work closely with local musical talent to amplify and celebrate sounds from within the city.

Mancunians can expect a whole calendar of year-round events, including outside broadcasts from some of the Manchester’s biggest occasions, local artist collaborations, live session recordings, specially curated Jägermeister radio shows, new music showcases, events and educational industry workshops.

Jenna G, presenter of Reform Radio’s new show, the Jäger Music Industry Sessions said: “I can’t wait to bring listeners on a journey of exploration, as we meet people from all aspects of the music business to learn about their experiences and creative processes to inspire young creative people keen to get into the industry”.

Tom Carson, Jägermeister UK’s Music Manager, explained, “Jägermeister and Reform Radio are both committed to supporting new artists and the communities they emerge from, so the partnership has naturally built around our shared aims.

“Music is a huge part of Jägermeister’s cultural DNA so we have ambitious plans for the Jäger X Reform Studio, and hope it will become a vital resource, and platform, for Manchester’s thriving new music scene”.

Global’s News Editor for Scotland Corrie Martin, and Global’s Chief Strategy Officer Will Harding have appeared in the Scottish Government’s Debating Chamber to talk about upcoming changes.

They were giving evidence to the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee on Thursday morning about the recent announcement to offer networked breakfast shows in Scotland across Heart and Smooth, plus on Communicorp’s Capital.

When questioned if the exercise is to cut costs, Will Harding confirmed the headcount in Scotland is only dropping by one person, from 34 to 33 people, despite the removal of Scottish breakfast shows.

It was also mentioned Global is increasing the number of news staff in Scotland, and the method of using split links to deliver Scotland specific content was also explained.

Claire will present four days a week, with current Good Morning Wales host Oliver Hides presenting on Friday and Saturday with an earlier start time of 6am till 8.30am.

Colin Paterson, Editor BBC Radio Wales says: “Claire is a fantastic presenter whose warmth and personality resonates with audiences across the country. A first-class journalist, we’re delighted she’s joined the Radio Wales team.”

Colin continues: “While it’s disappointing that listeners will have less choice in the morning, it sets us a new creative challenge. Our job now is to ensure this is a new programme for the whole of Wales – smart, engaging and rooted in the lives and passions of people in every part of the nation. We’re up for that.”

So big news!!! Leaving the world of for Joining @BBCRadioWales to host a new breakfast show. Huge privilege and a big challenge! Nervous but very excited! Early mornings here we come! https://t.co/xUSvSi2WSM

Claire says: “The opportunity to present Radio Wales’s new breakfast programme is a real privilege and a challenge I just couldn’t refuse. Fortunately, I’m a morning person so that early morning alarm shouldn’t be a problem – I just can’t wait to join the team and bring the latest news, views and conversation to breakfast tables across the nation.”

After the daily news round-up, Jason Mohammad (Monday to Wednesday) and Dot Davies (Thursday and Friday) will take over at the earlier time of 8.30am with Wynne Evans broadcasting over lunch between 11am and 2pm. Eleri Siôn will be the listeners’ companion during the afternoon. Gareth Lewis presents the new-look drivetime news programme at 5pm.

The earlier start for the day’s news and current affairs means Mal Pope’s early-morning programme will come to an end, and there’s no change to the programmes currently on a Sunday morning.

Colin Paterson adds: “Mal has a long association with Radio Wales, most recently as presenter of the early morning programme and I’m grateful to him for his dedication to his show and the listeners. He’ll be back on the airwaves soon including a broadcast of his one-man theatre show later this year.”

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bbc-radio-wales-introduces-new-breakfast-show-with-claire-summers/feed/15https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bbc-radio-wales-introduces-new-breakfast-show-with-claire-summers/UKRD purchase by Bauer to be looked at by Competition and Markets Authorityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/i4EbxagOpwo/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ukrd-purchase-by-bauer-to-be-looked-at-by-cma/#commentsThu, 14 Mar 2019 11:39:37 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217763<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="800" height="500" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bauerukrd.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bauerukrd.png 800w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bauerukrd-600x375.png 600w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bauerukrd-768x480.png 768w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bauerukrd-688x430.png 688w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Bauer's recent acquisition of the UKRD group will be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority, with the stations being run under a Hold Separate arrangement until it is complete.

Bauer’s recent acquisition of the UKRD group will be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority, with the stations being run under a Hold Separate arrangement until it is complete.

A spokesperson for Bauer Media told RadioToday: “The CMA has made some preliminary inquiries into Bauer’s acquisition of UKRD. As part of this, it is subject to a “hold separate” ruling consistent with the recent acquisitions of Celador, Wireless local stations and Lincs FM. All four business will continue to operate as stand-alone entities until the CMA has completed its review.

“This is a standard procedural step and Bauer is cooperating fully with the CMA.”

The purchase of GMG Radio by Global led to a CMA investigation, with Hold Separate running from June 2012 until the end of March 2014 and resulting in the disposal of 8 stations to Communicorp UK.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ukrd-purchase-by-bauer-to-be-looked-at-by-cma/feed/5https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ukrd-purchase-by-bauer-to-be-looked-at-by-cma/Apple FM to close due to loss of funding and staffhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/CtI0_DvhuuQ/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/apple-fm-to-close-due-to-loss-of-funding-and-staff/#commentsThu, 14 Mar 2019 09:12:52 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217757<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="600" height="300" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/apple.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" /></div>Taunton’s Community radio station Apple FM is to close due to a number of operations issues, the directors have announced today.

Taunton’s Community radio station Apple FM is to close due to a number of operations issues, the directors have announced today.

The group says it was unable to find a satisfactory resolution to a number of issues including loss of funding and staff retention in key areas of the business. The station is due to cease broadcasting at 6pm on Friday 29th March.

A spokesman for the station told RadioToday: “This is so desperately sad for our listeners and team of loyal volunteers. The directors sadly couldn’t find a way around the ongoing issues that the station had and opted to go out on a high rather than watch the station decline slowly.

“We are immensely proud that we achieved our objectives to bring a different radio experience to Taunton Deane. This was recognised when we were awarded the Queens Award For Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups. It’s a tragedy that we aren’t able to continue.”

The radio station, based in Musgrove Park Hospital, started life exactly fifty years ago as a hospital radio station and went on to become a medium-wave station Apple AM before becoming Apple FM in May 2013.

Radio and TV presenter Nicholas Parsons CBE is to be honoured later this week at the 45th annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

The actor and gameshow host has presented Radio 4’s Just A Minute for over 50 years and hosted ITV’s Sale of the Century for 12 years and on Friday he will receive the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting.

On December 22nd 1967, Nicholas hosted the first edition of Just A Minute on BBC Radio 4, a role he has carried out ever since, missing just one recording (when he had flu). In 1971, he also became host of the ITV gameshow Sale of the Century, which he presented for 12 years.

Other broadcasting highlights have included appearances in The Comic Strip Presents (Channel 4), Doctor Who (BBC One) and hosting Have I Got News For You (BBC One).

The BPG’s chairman, Jake Kanter, said: “Our Harvey Lee award winner is being recognised for seven decades of TV and radio entertainment, and in particular his contribution to one of the BBC’s longest-running programmes. Panelists have come and gone, the gamesmanship and gags have evolved, but Nicholas Parsons remains in the hot seat at the centre of it all. His warmth, sharp wit, and clear-headed determinations in rooms full of fast-talking show offs have kept him at the top of his game.”

The BPG Awards are selected independently by journalists who write about TV and radio – correspondents, critics and previewers. The awards lunch, at Banking Hall in the City of London on Friday, will be attended by the winners, BPG members and leading broadcasting executives.

Absolute Radio’s Frank Skinner is taking over the station’s schedule this Saturday to mark a decade on air.

He’ll begin his usual show at 8am, but will continue until 6pm by co-hosting slots including Rock n Roll Football and the Indie Disco.

Among those joining him on air will be usual co-hosts Emily Dean and Alun Cochrane, as well as his former comedy and singing partner David Baddiel.

Frank will co-host Rock n Roll Football with fellow comic Matt Forde, and join in with Andy Bush’s Indie Disco.

Jingles across the station on Saturday will be replaced with ukulele versions in tribute to Frank, who plays the instrument.

Frank Skinner says “I have to admit I’m slightly scared at the prospect of ten hours of continuous radio. I’ll be extremely proud if I can get through it without a career-ending remark.”

Paul Sylvester, Content Director Absolute Radio told RadioToday: “Over the last decade, Frank has consistently created some of Absolute Radio’s finest moments. His passion is unabated, his work-rate is phenomenal and his relationship with his audience is unbounded. The antithesis of many commercial radio programmes, this is a show which constantly evolves but remains true to its roots – a simple conversation between three friends. Frank’s 10th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of our industry’s biggest stars.”

The winners for the Television & Radio Industries Club awards have been announced, with Greg James and Roman Kemp amongst those recognised.

BBC Radio 1 breakfast presenter Greg James took home the Radio Personality award whilst about-to-be-national Capital Breakfast’s Roman Kemp won Best Radio Programme.

BBC Radio 5 Live’s “You Me & The Big C” won Podcast of the Year, following its success at the ARIAs in October. Rachael Bland, who died in September, created the podcast series which has increased awareness and discussion about cancer. Her husband Steve collected the award along with co-presenter Deborah James.

The TRIC Awards event is celebrating its 50th year and welcomed well-known people from the world of television and radio at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Tuesday afternoon.

Last year’s winners were Dermot O’Leary for Radio Personality, Christian O’Connell for Radio Programme and Desert Island Discs for Podcast of the Year. Previous winners include Jamie Theakston, Emma Bunton and Chris Evans.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/greg-james-and-roman-kemp-win-at-the-tric-awards-2019/Bauer Media to launch Country Hits Radio via local DABhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/nua55P3Ey-8/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bauer-media-to-launch-country-hits-radio-via-local-dab/#commentsTue, 12 Mar 2019 10:00:11 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217717<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="700" height="400" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/country-hits-radio.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/country-hits-radio.png 700w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/country-hits-radio-600x343.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></div>Bauer is starting its third new radio station this year as Country Hits Radio gets ready to launch on a number of DAB multiplexes in the UK.

Bauer is starting its third new radio station this year as Country Hits Radio gets ready to launch on a number of DAB multiplexes in the UK.

Bauer is to remove Kiss Fresh from the above local multiplexes to make room for Country Hits Radio.

Country Hits Radio is targetting modern country music-lovers aged 25-44, with country music radio host Baylen Leonard (Chris Country, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4) joining the station for a daily weekday show.

Nashville’s Ty Bentli will share news from the US country scene Monday to Friday and singer-songwriter Una Healy from The Saturdays will also join the station for a weekend show.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Una Healy said: “When you look at the success of artists such as The Shires and Ward Thomas as well as huge events like Country 2 Country, it’s clear there’s a real audience for country music in the UK. It’s a genre I’ve fallen in love with and it’s thrilling that it now has a home in Country Hits Radio. I can’t wait to get started!”

During launch week next month, the station will play host to guest appearances from Chase Rice, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Brett Eldredge and Jimmie Allen.

The UK’s only other terrestrial country radio stations are Chris Country, operated by Chris Stevens, and Bauer’s Downtown Country in Northern Ireland. Chris Country has been running since 2013 and is currently on DAB in Manchester, Cambridge, Portsmouth, London, Norwich, Suffolk, Glasgow and Wrexham / Chester / Liverpool. Last month, Global launched Smooth Country, an online stream of country music within the Global Player.

Country Hits Radio is the third new station launch from Bauer Media this year – following on from Greatest Hits Radio and Scala Radio.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bauer-media-to-launch-country-hits-radio-via-local-dab/feed/31https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bauer-media-to-launch-country-hits-radio-via-local-dab/Opinion: Siobhan Kenny on future radio talent and the Young ARIAshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/1lvFFTY8Rx8/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/opinion-siobhan-kenny-on-future-radio-talent-and-the-young-arias/#commentsTue, 12 Mar 2019 09:08:23 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217720<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="700" height="400" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/siobhan.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/siobhan.png 700w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/siobhan-600x343.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></div>Siobhan Kenny, CEO of Radiocentre writes for RadioToday about the thousands of children making radio across the UK and the launch of the Young ARIAs.

Siobhan Kenny, CEO of Radiocentre writes for RadioToday about the thousands of children making radio across the UK and the launch of the Young ARIAs.

“The thing about radio is, it makes you go ‘ha’.” Words of wisdom from Josh Ryan, producer at BBC Sounds, at a recent joyful event in the BBC Radio Theatre.

Radio does make you smile, it can make you cry, or simply create light moments to start or finish the day. It’s not rocket science, that’s why it remains popular, even with elusive younger audiences. The recent Radio Masterclass was jointly hosted by Radiocentre and the BBC for Creative Access, the organisation which helps under 25s from under- represented groups get into the media.

A panel of fabulous Black, Asian and minority ethnic presenters and producers passed on their tips for success to the next generation. Radio, like every industry, needs to broaden its talent pool. Our hugely diverse audiences absolutely demand a rich mix of programming from a variety of voices. No creative business can afford to become irrelevant.

There is no shortage of young people making their own radio and audio. In fact, it’s never been easier to DJ, make your own programmes, create podcasts and produce music. To harness and recognise that talent, Radiocentre and Radio Academy launched The Young ARIAs earlier this month, aimed at under 18s.

The Student Radio Awards are a great pipeline for talent but there is a broader (and younger) world out there just waiting for a chance.

The Young ARIAs recognises the important work being done in many schools. There are nearly 1,000 schools across the UK with their own radio stations which means there are thousands of under-18s presenting and producing their own audio content.

Savvy heads understand that radio and audio training in school is about much more than building careers in the media. It’s about gaining life skills such as learning how to present, how to capture an audience and how to be succinct. How many of us in business wish those skills had been well learned at a young age as we sit through another boring powerpoint presentation?

The awards will showcase the nation’s best young talent and hopefully help them develop a better understanding of the radio and audio business. The ceremony, featuring some of radio’s biggest stars, will take place on 17 May in the BBC Radio Theatre and is a pivotal element of Radio Audio Week in 2019. The winners will receive ‘money can’t buy’ prizes such as guest hosting a national radio show and advice from an array of talented people across the UK radio industry.

So readers of Radio Today – if you know any under 18s already making their own material, don’t forget to point them in the direction of the Young ARIAs at youngarias.co.uk. It could be a life changing decision.

The Young ARIAS are the new awards for 8-18 year olds and schools who have a passion for creating radio and audio. Over 1,000 schools across the UK have a radio station/audio equipment, which means along with under 18s making their own podcasts, audio mixes and community radio shows there are thousands of kids involved in radio and audio projects.

The full list of categories and details of how to enter free of charge are at youngarias.co.uk and @theyoungarias on Twitter and Instagram.

Entries close Friday 15th March.

Siobhan Kenny has been CEO of Radiocentre for over four years during which time she has championed diversity and driven new partnerships. The radio and audio industry is enjoying a resurgence in the form of both record advertising revenues and listening figures. She is Chair of the BBC/commercial sector digital venture, Radioplayer, and serves on the Boards of the Advertising Association, Digital Radio UK and the literacy charity Beanstalk.

Prior to joining Radiocentre, Siobhan played a key role in bringing the 2012 Olympics to London as a Board Director of the Culture, Media and Sport department working alongside Secretary of State, Tessa Jowell. Her speciality is in political and strategic communication for content businesses going through transformation, including Disney and HarperCollins. She was recently made a Fellow of the Radio Academy.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/opinion-siobhan-kenny-on-future-radio-talent-and-the-young-arias/feed/1https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/opinion-siobhan-kenny-on-future-radio-talent-and-the-young-arias/Cool FM & Downtown Radio in Ofcom breach for inaccurate newshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/CL1CZ5pU-ZA/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/cool-fm-downtown-radio-in-ofcom-breach-for-inaccurate-news/#commentsMon, 11 Mar 2019 13:32:52 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217696<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="700" height="400" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cool-down.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cool-down.png 700w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cool-down-600x343.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></div>The cover journalist who read out the inaccurate news was hired by the station at the same time the Bauer Radio Awards were taking place in London.

Cool FM and Downtown Radio have been found in breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code for reading out inaccurate news.

A complainant alerted Ofcom to a news bulletin that they considered inaccurate on June 18th 2017 at 4pm.

The newsreader said: “The man who killed Colin Horner in front of his three-year-old son has been charged with murder..”

The cover journalist who read out the inaccurate news was hired by the station at the same time the Bauer Radio Awards were taking place in London.

The un-named news presenter said that they had made a mistake, for which they apologised, adding that, “as a novice journalist”, they were “delighted to [have been] offered cover work … at Cool FM / Downtown Radio from 16/06/17 to 18/06/17 while the news team attended [an external event]”.

Ofcom said: “In this instance, a news bulletin about the murder of Colin Horner in Northern Ireland stated that “[t]he man who killed [Mr Horner] in front of his three-year old son has been charged with murder.

“At the time of the broadcast this was not correct because it had not been established in a court of law that “[t]he man” referred to in the news bulletin had indeed killed Colin Horner. Rather, at that time, an individual had been charged but was still to appear in Court to face those charges. It was, therefore, inaccurate for the presenter to state that “[t]he man who killed Colin Horner…has been charged with murder”.

With regards to Bauer’s response, Ofcom added: “We disagreed with the Licensee’s argument that, “if it subsequently transpires that [a suspect] pleads or was found guilty it will be the case that there was no breach of Rule 5.1 as the news would indeed have been reported with due accuracy”.

“The material time for ensuring that factual circumstances are duly accurate is at the time of the broadcast. At the time of this broadcast, the Licensee incorrectly stated that the man charged with Mr Horner’s murder had killed him, when, in fact, he had only just been charged.”

There will be 10 Drive programmes in the new enlarged regions – plus London – which are South, Central, North West (Manchester/Lancashire), Liverpool, Yorkshire, North East, Scotland plus three in Wales.

Here’s who’s doing what:

In Manchester, Rob Ellis, Rachel Burke-Davies & Wingman move to the new time slot of 4pm – 7pm, which can also be heard on the new Capital Lancashire.

In Liverpool, Dylan Evans joins Graeme Smith for a new drive time show, with local DJ and producer Anton Powers doing an hour every Thursday and Friday from 6pm – 7pm.

Adam O’Neill & JoJo Kelly will host Capital Yorkshire’s new drive time show and Dave Goodings and Miranda Burns become the new hosts of drive across the South Coast.

In the North West and North Wales, Ben Sheppard will host the new drive time show.

In Scotland, Des Clarke moves to a brand new drive time show on Capital’s sister station, Heart, while Garry Spence continues to host Capital Scotland drive.

Elsewhere across the UK, Tom Watts and Claire Chambers from Capital East Midlands host drive time in East Midlands and Birmingham, Martin Lowes continues to host drive on Capital North East and Josh Andrews and Kally Davies continue to present drive in South Wales.

In North Wales, Alistair James, Kev Bach and Cerian Griffith continue to host their breakfast, afternoon and weekend shows respectively on Capital Cymru.

Capital network presenters also include Lauren Layfield on early breakfast, Will Manning hosts mid-mornings, Aimee Vivian in the afternoon, Jimmy Hill with the brand new Capital evening show and Marvin Humes hosting Capital’s late show. At the weekend Capital network presenters include Rob Howard, Will Cozens, JJ, Sarah Story, Rio Fredrika, The Bassman and Niall Gray.

Ashley Tabor OBE, Founder & Executive President of Global, told RadioToday about the changes: “This is a historic moment for Capital, Global, the commercial radio sector and for Roman and the team personally. Since he joined Capital five years ago, Roman has worked hard to rise up the card and has created a massively entertaining show that is adored by artists and listeners alike.

“I’m exceptionally proud to see Roman, Vick and Sonny go nationwide with their no.1 commercial breakfast show – I’m sure this will become an appointment-to-listen show for listeners across the UK.”

Polly told RadioToday: “I’m counting down the days until I can get started at Radio X! I’m a massive fan of the station and listen every day. I can’t wait to get on air and play the music I’m so passionate about.”

Matt Deverson, managing editor of Radio X, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Polly to our presenter line-up. She’s a fantastic talent and we’re delighted to have her on the Radio X team!”

Her show will air Friday and Saturday nights 10pm-1am on digital radio across the UK and on FM in London and Manchester from 5th April.

Thank U for the lovely msgs over the last few weeks. You lot are mad on here but always super supportive! So, anyway, this is me trying to act all cool but you know I’m bloody screaming inside with excitement Adjust ya knobs, loves…

In our monthly roundtable discussion for March, Trevor Dann is joined by Steve Parkinson and Brett Spencer from Bauer and Lorna Clarke from Radio 2 and 6Music to discuss more radio upheavals and recommend some top audio.

James Cridland looks at some new figures on listening via smart speakers and in David Lloyd’s Radio Moments – John Peel makes his Radio 1 debut while Zane Lowe departs; Keith Skues turns 80 and Radio 210 launches.

This is just one of the weekly podcasts produced and published by RadioToday, sponsored by Broadcast Bionics. See our archive on the RadioToday Programme channel here.

If you’d like to suggest a topic for discussion, or join in one of our regular round-table shows, please email newsdesk@radiotoday.co.uk.

Five Capital and Heart stations in Wales will need to continue providing their own drivetime programmes, despite Ofcom creating an “Approved Area” for the entire nation.

In the new approved area, under normal circumstances, Heart in Cardiff and Heart in Wrexham would be able to share all programmes because they are in the same approved area, similarly with Capital.

But whilst Global owns Heart South and Capital North, they can’t share programmes with Heart North and Capital South, because those are owned by Communicorp.

Ofcom says stations can only share all programmes within approved areas if there is a common owner. The localness guidelines state a station owner must be able to prove they have control of their own output.

In addition, Capital Cymru will continue providing Welsh-language programmes meaning a separate breakfast, afternoon and drive show for Caernarfon.

The presenters for the local drive shows have not yet been announced.

The same rule applies in the North West of England – with Communicorp-owned Smooth NW unable to share its three-hour local show with Global-owned Smooth Lake District. Global will instead provide a drivetime show for Kendal and Windermere from its office in Manchester, having already announced the closure of Kendal and Lancaster buildings.

RadioToday’s take

In the North West, it’s unknown if Global knew this situation would arise when buying Lakeland Radio. The industry assumed it would become a relay of the larger NW station once rules were relaxed. Official coverage for Smooth NW ends in North Lancashire just before Lakeland Radio’s starts.

It turns out the tiny Kendal licence, with a TSA of just 51,000 people, can share a breakfast show with England and Scotland but can’t share a drivetime show (or other daily three hour show) with Manchester.

In Wales, these stations under the same brand in Cardiff and Wrexham can share breakfast with London and Edinburgh, but not drivetime with each other, due to ownership rules.

I suspect this particular common ownership rule is something Global and Communicorp will be fighting against should the opportunity arise. One way to get around it, for now, would be an asset swap – where Global would own the same brand in the South and the North, and likewise with Communicorp.

So, once the network breakfast shows kick in, the five drivetime shows for the population of Wales, one for Capital South, one for Heart South, one for Capital North and one for Heart North, plus breakfast and drive on Capital Cymru, will continue.

5 Live’s late-night presenter Phil Williams is leaving the station after 18 years.

Phil has presented the late evening show, Monday to Wednesday/Thursday, 10:30pm till 1am, on BBC Radio 5 Live since 13 May 2013.

Before 5 Live, Phil worked at BBC Radio 1, GMR in Manchester and XFM London. His last show will be May 8th.

Sarah Brett will take over the show – which is on-air Mondays to Wednesdays (Monday-Thursday on weeks when there is no Question Time Extra Time).

5 Live Controller Jonathan Wall told RadioToday: “I’d like to thank Phil for everything he has done for the station. He started out as our entertainment correspondent, making a big impact with a range of exclusive stories. He’s presented across the schedule, most recently on the late programme, where he’s delivered brilliant interviews and big breaking news stories.

“We look forward to Sarah starting a new show on 13 May.”

They say all good things must come to an end and after 18 years with BBC Radio 5 Live – I will be leaving on May 8th. It’s been quite an adventure. (1/5)

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/phil-williams-announces-departure-from-bbc-radio-5-live/feed/12https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/phil-williams-announces-departure-from-bbc-radio-5-live/Opinion: Being a female in a male-dominated radio industryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/x20QpMnkX24/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/opinion-being-a-female-in-a-male-dominated-radio-industry/#commentsFri, 08 Mar 2019 10:26:07 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217621<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="700" height="400" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ed.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ed.png 700w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ed-600x343.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></div>Emma Davis: I feel it is my duty to celebrate International Women’s Day in the best way I know how… to write about it.

Emma Davis: I feel it is my duty to celebrate International Women’s Day in the best way I know how… to write about it.

Before I begin this article, I feel I must (Although I don’t actually know why) first state that International Men’s Day is on 19 th November 2019, and I will be sure to celebrate the creative, the innovative and the inspiring men in this wonderfully diverse media world we live and work in.

However, there’s no denying the fact that I am indeed a woman, and so I feel it is my duty to celebrate today in the best way I know how… to write about it.

I must also state that the brief article below is based on my experience alone, and although may seem as a generalised, sweeping statement, it is not. It is purely based on a few people I have worked with over the last 12 years.

International Women’s Day means many things to many people. It’s about celebrating the social, economical, cultural and political achievements of women past and present. And of course paving a better, stronger path for those of the future.

But, it’s not just that, it’s a very personal period of reflection for many. For me, this reflection falls to the industry I work in. I feel I am just starting out in my career in many ways, so I still have a long way to go. And whilst my business (voiceovers, copywriting and audio production) leaks into quite a varied range of industries, there’s absolutely no denying that I work in a male-dominated environment. Whether my client is a radio station, a marketing agency, an animation studio or publishing outlet, every one of them has CEOs, managers, sales reps, producers, engineers that are predominantly male. In fact, I can name but a couple of females I work with regularly within my work. It’s not a complaint, just a fact when looking through my client list.

Many clients even remark upon the fact that it’s quite rare for them to find a female with my skillset, confidence or enthusiasm for the work I do. Whilst this is often flattery on the surface, it comes across with a sense of nervousness. As I may be the first they have recognised, it makes some people feel uneasy.

I can’t help but feel let down by their ignorance.

I know so many confident, skilled, hardworking, grafting females that love nothing more that to get their hands dirty, get their teeth stuck into a plan and god-damn dominate a project when they get the opportunity.

And so the cycle begins.

Some males in this industry feel nervous or apprehensive about a woman with more skills, smarter ideas and a harder work ethic. So those female don’t push themselves as hard, to ensure they don’t step out of line and be at the top of the radio industry game.

And in turn, there are a lack of females at the highest level. So how can this cycle be broken?

I guess it’s all about acceptance.

If a man does a better job than me, fair play to him. Go for it! I can only learn from those skills to better my own chances at growing my business and career. Many of those that have provided me with the biggest inspiration to work harder and be better have been men. And I can only thank them for the opportunities and the lessons they gave me.

But if I am second choice because a decisive, confident female is seen as ‘difficult’, then there is a lot of work still left to do.

I absolutely adore radio. I love everything about the communication, the community, the passion and the skill that goes into creating a success of it. My love started at a very young age, and I married to my radio for life. For better or for worse.

However, I feel we are still rather behind when it comes to equality.

“We need some dolly birds there” was a quote I heard recently at a radio station regarding an outside broadcast.

This is not only sad for the poor girl they deem attractive enough to fulfill this role (Or indeed those who they deemed unfit for the purpose), but for any male that could have also missed out on providing a superb service for the event just because of his anatomy.

So, I guess on this International Women’s Day, I don’t intend to come across as an aggressive, angry feminist, but a positive, resolute and determined one that wants to celebrate the females for the good of the whole industry.

Man or woman. International Women’s Day is good for all of us.

Particularly those seeking dolly birds.
Emma Davis is a voice artist, producer and copywriter and is available at @ED__Creative on Twitter and Instagram.

Steve Allen has been honoured at the Global Awards as he celebrates 40 years on-air at LBC.

He won the LBC Award for his weekday early show, which was presented to him by LBC’s Nick Ferrari and Classic FM’s Moira Stewart.

Speaking on-stage as he collected the award, Steve said: “Oh my god. Oh, my goodness, there’s a week’s worth of programming in this room tonight. I’ve been looking round the tables and I’ve featured most people in here, most people.

“I have to thank James Rea. Tom, thank you so much. Ofcom, Ofcom I thank on a daily basis, I’ve basically got a hotline to Ofcom. They love my show, they really do. I have to thank Ashley who has just been such a big supporter, thank you so much.

“I never thought 40 years ago that I would still be working on the same station and still working. I think I’m living proof that some decrepit old tart like me can actually get an audience at 4 o’clock in the morning. It’s a miracle. I love every day, I love everything, everything about it and at the end of the month they give money. Please god it continues.

“I’m not supporting anybody, but I might after tonight. I love working with the people at LBC, they’re so nice. I see so many friends in this room that I see at work all the time and I love every single one of you. Even you lot down here!

“So, thank you, thank you so, so much for this. You’ve no idea what this means, and I generally cry quite easily so I am going to try not tonight and just say, thank you!”

Ashley Tabor OBE, Global’s Founder & Executive President, said: “The Global Awards, with Very.co.uk, is truly unique among awards shows, as we honour the stars of music, news and entertainment, all together on one night, with multiple awards voted for by the public alone. Some of the world’s biggest artists from across the musical spectrum treated us to some spectacular performances – what a way to celebrate our second ever awards show! Our huge congratulations to every nominee and winner, with special recognition to Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Little Mix for being our big double winners on the night.”

Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Little Mix all did the double on the night, each winning two awards. Dua Lipa was one of the big winners, scooping two major awards – Best Female and Best British Artist or Group.

Mark Ronson was another big double winner – taking home Best Male and the second ever Global Special Award, which recognised the producer, DJ and musician for his phenomenal career and contribution to the worldwide music industry.

Little Mix took home Best Song with Metro for ‘Woman Like Me’ (feat. Nicki Minaj) and Best Group for the second year-in-a-row – with both awards voted for by the public.

The Awards also crowned Halsey with the Rising Star Award, recognising the artist who has broken through in 2018, also voted for by the public.

Showing the unique, musical diversity of the awards, the public voted Nicola Benedetti as Best Classical Artist and Khalid as the winner of Best RnB, Hip Hop & Grime. In addition, Joe Sugg was voted Social Media Superstar.

Lady Gaga won the Mass Appeal award, recognising an artist’s true crossover appeal across multiple formats and genres, while Anne-Marie scooped the award for Best Pop and Blossoms won Best Indie.

Rudimental won the Most Played Song for ‘These Days’ featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen, recognising the song that had the most airplay across Global radio stations in total in 2018.

Finally, Smooth Radio’s Kate Garraway gave out the first ever Very Award to 19-year-old Joshua Hill. Global has created the brand-new award with Very.co.uk to celebrate someone who’s overcome a personal challenge. At the age of 5, Joshua was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Despite that, he went on achieve his GCSEs and A-levels; he’s currently studying Fitness and Health at college and – 14 years on from his diagnosis, conquered three of Britain’s biggest mountains last year to raise money for Global’s Make Some Noise.

Ronan Kemp – host of the Capital Breakfast Show

A number of Global staff and singers took to the stage to hand out the awards too. They were:

Half of the prizes at this year’s IRN Awards have been won by reporters or teams from Scottish radio stations.

Six of the 12 awards are on their way back to Scotland following the ceremony at the Sky Cinema in west London, which was hosted by Sky News presenter Kay Burley.

Four of those six were won by Bauer – for Clyde, Forth, West FM and MFR/Northsound journalist Bryan Rutherford. The other two went to Global’s Newsroom Scotland.

Among the English winners there were three each for Global and Bauer. Global’s Yorkshire and North East newsroom took two and LBC one; while there were also awards heading back to Hits Radio Manchester, CFM and Lincs FM for Bauer.

The Lincs FM winner was Andy Marsh, who was given the final prize of the night – the IRN Gold Award. Andy was a presenter at Viking FM before joining Lincs FM at launch in 1992. He switched from presenting to news in 2001 and is now a senior journalist at the station.

Presenting the award, Lincs FM’s Director of Programming, and previous winner of the Gold Award, Sean Dunderdale said “In North East Lincolnshire, everyone knows him. He’s one of those journalists who knows how to build up and maintain contacts, can find original stories on the quietest of days and takes our newer, younger journalists under his wing when they first join us. He’s shown a thorough commitment to commercial radio – and commercial radio news – throughout his career but does it without making a fuss, without wanting the glory.”

This year’s Student Journalist of the Year award went to Dave Wheeler from Bournemouth University. Judges said Dave’s story about a girl’s grief over the death of her sister at young age was ‘a brilliantly told sad and frank human story creatively produced.’

IRN and Sky News Radio Editor Dave Terris told RadioToday: “Commercial radio news teams continue to push the boundaries with the strength, depth and quality of their coverage. The winners have demonstrated a passion for original journalism, highly engaging campaigns, thoughtful storytelling and imaginative treatments all for the benefit of millions of listeners. The standard of entries was exceptional and proved yet again that journalists across the network are in tune with the stories their audiences want to hear.”

IRN Managing Director, Tim Molloy said: “It is very encouraging for the future of commercial radio journalism to hear the many talented younger voices entered into both Newcomer of the Year and the Student Journalist of the Year categories. All of the winners, runners up and nominees are at a high level and undoubtedly they help their stations to build trust with their audiences through engagement with professionally produced bulletins and reports – which is vitally important in the era of fake news.”

Ayrshire’s West FM was named ‘News Team of the Year’ with a TSA of under one million with judges saying it was ‘brave enough to invest in its own special reports and bold enough to shape the agenda by throwing its weight behind campaigns.’

Global’s Newsroom Yorkshire and North East were the recipients of the News Team of the Year in the over one million TSA category. The judges were impressed with the ‘range’ offered by the team ‘from hard-hitting investigations to gentler, more poignant stories.’

The ‘Reporter of the Year’ among stations with a TSA of over one million was LBC’s Rachael Venables. Rachael was described as ‘the complete package’ who is ‘at the top of her game’ displaying ‘empathy, enthusiasm and assuredness combined with a sense of humour.’

Here’s the IRN Awards 2019 winners list in full:

IRN Gold Award
Andy Marsh

News Team of the Year (Over 1m TSA)
Global’s Newsroom Yorkshire and North East

News Team of the Year (Under 1m TSA)
West FM News

Best News Special or Feature
Echoes of Dunblane: Journey To Parkland – Global’s Newsroom Scotland

Following International Women’s Day, Inspirational Women will become a regular feature on JACK Radio, with listeners able to hear more inspiring stories from iconic women daily.

Belinda Doyle, Programme Director at JACK Radio, said: “We wanted to create something that would not only celebrate International Women’s Day on JACK Radio, but which also has a lasting message and continues to provide a platform to some of the world’s greatest women. Our series Inspirational Women will launch on International Women’s Day, but we will be continuing the legacy by making it an ongoing feature on our station, which already provides an unrivalled platform for women in music through its exclusive music policy.”

A number of other radio stations are doing special features to mark the day, including Express FM in Portsmouth who’ve been in touch to tell us their schedule will be full of females all day this Friday.

Liz Beckett, who presents a weekly local music show, will kick proceedings off covering Breakfast from 6am speaking to a health and wellbeing expert. From 9am Lily Parke will be talking to a cast member of the new movie Captain Marvel about female empowerment. Julie Lorraine’s regular ‘Expressions’ show, which links every song together with a niche fact, will be adapted for International Women’s Day from 11am. Vicki Hemmings will be playing a whole range of female Indie artists from 1pm.

Pippa Jones, who regularly hosts drive alongside a co-host on Fridays, will be flying solo from 3pm until 6pm. The stations Football Hour will still go ahead as normal, but instead fronted by former Portsmouth Football Club Women’s player, Tash Stephens from 6pm.

Becca Dean will be in conversation with a group of young people from 7pm talking about what’s it’s like growing up and starting careers in today’s society. From 8pm Gloria Miller will be hosting her normal Music For The Soul show, but focusing on women of funk and soul from 8pm, before Reganhae Rose wraps things up from 10pm with an all-female playlist.

Vicki Hemmings said this about the day’s lineup “To say I am excited and proud to be a part of the International Women’s Day take over on Express FM is an understatement. When I started at the station over 10 years ago there were 3 female presenters on the station, fast forward and we are keeping you informed and entertained from 6am until midnight on Friday.

“I would like to thank Station Director Miles Henson and Programme Controller Mason Jordan for not only coming up with the idea but for nurturing so many female presenters over the years in order to make this possible.”

Programme Controller Mason Jordan said: “This industry is full of very talented men, and often the female talent gets overlooked. Fortunately, this is gradually changing and this International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to show off the amazing women we work with every day.

“I’m very excited at what’s to come on Friday, and I’m sure this female influence is only the beginning of a longer, positive change for our programming.”

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/jack-radio-launches-inspirational-women-series/talkSPORT goes live from new studios at News UKhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/GUIoZLZgDXM/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/talksport-goes-live-from-new-studios-at-news-uk/#commentsThu, 07 Mar 2019 13:07:34 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217587<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="1023" height="680" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/talksport_newstudio.jpg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/talksport_newstudio.jpg 1023w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/talksport_newstudio-600x399.jpg 600w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/talksport_newstudio-768x510.jpg 768w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/talksport_newstudio-647x430.jpg 647w" sizes="(max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px" /></div>talkSPORT has begun broadcasts from its new home on the 17th floor of the News UK building at London Bridge, after almost 20 years at Hatfields.

talkSPORT has begun broadcasts from its new home on the 17th floor of the News UK building at London Bridge, after almost 20 years at Hatfields.

Alan Brazil’s breakfast show with Ally McCoist and Dean Saunders was the first to air from studio 17E at 6am, with guests including Olly Murs, Lawrence Dallaglio, Ian Holloway, George Groves and the Premier League trophy.

Wireless CEO Scott Taunton told RadioToday: “talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 are in a good place editorially, commercially and now physically too – occupying the best radio studios in the country. This is a truly exciting time for Wireless and the opportunities that will come to work ever closer with our colleagues at The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.”

Alan Brazil added: “These studios will do just fine for me! We have the best views, the best news and the best chat around the clock. I’m looking forward to welcoming the best sporting talent to share the talkSPORT couch with me and wake up sports fans across the country.”

Scott Taunton and News Corp CEO Robert Thomson joined Alan to cut the ribbon and formally open the new studios, following talkSPORT2’s move there last week.

Virgin Radio has been broadcasting from the 14th floor of the building since January, but will move up to the 17th floor later this year – at which point talkRADIO will leave Hatfields for its new home in the studios currently being used by Virgin.

Former Heart Wales and Real Radio Wales presenter Angela Jay is joining Nation Broadcasting’s local network of Welsh stations.

Angela will be on Bridge FM Radio, Swansea Bay Radio, Radio Carmarthenshire, Radio Pembrokeshire and Radio Ceredigion every Sunday morning from 9.

Born and raised in Swansea, Angela says she is very much excited to be returning to her roots and living back in Wales: “I feel extremely lucky and grateful to still be doing what I love”.

Over the past 20 years Angela has been a familiar voice in Wales having hosted breakfast shows in South and North Wales for Heart and Real Radio Wales as well as stints on the BBC world service and BBC Wales. Angela is currently on weekends at Heart Sussex.

Group Programme Director, Neil Greenslade, told RadioToday: “It’s great to have Angela join our team here in Wales and I’m looking forward to working with her.”

Bauer Media has appointed Victoria Easton-Riley as Content Development Director for the Hits Radio Network in Scotland.

Most recently, Victoria produced the Hits Radio Breakfast Show with Gemma, Gethin and Dave and, previous to that, was producer on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw.

This newly-created role will see Victoria responsible for the development of Bauer people, talent and content for the Hits Radio Network broadcast teams across Scotland including Clyde 1 and Forth One.

This comes after Stuart Barrie has decided to leave business after 3 years. Stuart has been Regional Content Director for East Scotland stations in the Hits Radio Network.

Victoria Easton-Riley commented: “This is an incredibly exciting time for commercial radio as the sector continues to rapidly evolve. There has never been a more important time to develop our people, talent and content as we move into the next exciting stage of the industry’s future and I can’t wait to get started!”

Gary Stein, Group Programme Director, Hits Radio Network added: “Victoria has produced high-calibre national radio shows with some of the industry greats in both commercial radio and at the BBC and brings a wealth of experience to the Hits Radio Network, I know she will inspire and lead our talented content teams across Scotland.

“I’d like to also thank Stuart Barrie for his contribution to our continued success in the East of Scotland and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Victoria has worked in commercial radio and the BBC for over 20 years, including stints at Absolute Radio and Real Radio Scotland, and starts her new job this month.

Radio Audio Week is returning for a second year consisting of a series of events including conferences, seminars, awards and networking sessions.

All events are currently in London but organisers are keen to hear from anyone wanting to hold an event outside the capital.

The week, from 13-18 May, brings together partners from across the audio sector including industry body Radiocentre, the BBC, The Radio Academy, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the British Podcast Awards.

Radio Audio Week will celebrate “the audio revolution”, which is seeing record numbers of people tuning in to radio, the coming of age of podcasts and the evolution of voice-activated devices.

The full list of events continues to grow, and will include The Radio Academy’s annual Radio Festival on Monday 13 May, Radiocentre’s Tuning In conference on Tuesday 14 May and the British Podcast Awards on Saturday 18 May.

The IPA, the trade body for marketing communications agencies, will kick off the week on Monday 13 May with a breakfast seminar giving a TouchPoints perspective on audio in peoples’ everyday lives.

IAB UK, the trade association for digital advertising, will also host its annual Sound Investment seminar on Thursday 16 May. The afternoon of Friday 17 May sees the inaugural Young ARIAS Award ceremony, a partnership between the BBC and commercial radio recognising young audio talent aged 8 – 18.

Radiocentre CEO Siobhan Kenny said “With 9 out of 10 UK adults tuning in every week, the commercial sector posting record revenues and some bold moves in terms of dynamic new models and big name signings, radio is generating a great deal of momentum at present.

“Radio Audio Week is a moment to bring together partners and friends from across the audio landscape to celebrate the power of sound. We’re looking forward to bringing another fantastic line-up of speakers to our Tuning In event on the Tuesday.”

MD of the Radio Academy, Sean Childerley, said “Radio Audio Week makes a welcome return to our calendar this year, giving the industry the opportunity to come together to celebrate, discuss and debate all that matters in the audio and radio world. I’m delighted that Radio Festival will be part of what is shaping up to be strong week of events and I know all our members will welcome the opportunity to catch-up on the latest developments, challenges and initiatives from friends and colleagues across the industry.”

Matt Deegan, co-founder of the British Podcast Awards, said “It’s truly a golden age of audio – with growth for radio, streaming and podcasts. The British Podcast Awards celebrates all audio creators whether they do it from a radio studio, a kitchen table or a live event, we’re excited to provide a brilliant end for Radio Audio Week at the British Podcast Awards.”

Radio Audio Week will take place at locations across London 13–18 May 2019 and consist of both ticketed and free events. For more information, and the full line-up, visit radioaudioweek.co.uk.

Podcast Live has added more sessions to its inaugural event on politics next month, with the BBC’s Brexitcast, Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday and ITV’s Acting Prime Minister all joining the line-up.

The event in central London on 7th April will take place just over a week after the UK’s planned departure from the EU. Also joining the schedule for the day are podcasts from the Daily Telegraph, Politico, The Week and The New European.

Organisers say a third room at the venue will be opened to cope with additional demand for tickets.

Podcast Live Chairman Phil Riley said: “We’ve been totally overwhelmed by the response to the event. Podcasters are really keen to perform live and meet their fans, and listeners seem equally as excited to get involved and participate in this live occasion.”

Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge, whose podcast is one of the additions, said “I’m a massive fan of podcasting because it lends itself to a more informal, intimate style of interviewing. Usually “Sophy Ridge on Sunday” is just my producer Matt Lavender and me in an empty radio studio, so I’m looking forward to the very different atmosphere of a live show!”

The shows will all be recorded for subsequent release by the podcasters.

Tickets start from £12 per session, though the BBC Brexitcast session will be free with tickets allocated by ballot. Find out more on the Podcast Live website.

Bauer Media has quietly closed one of the radio stations it bought recently.

DAB-only Sam FM Thames Valley – which was one of the 27 radio stations Bauer acquired from Celador Radio less than a month ago – is no longer on-air and has been removed from the Sam FM app and website.

Instead, The Breeze has taken over its spot on DAB to match its FM service.

The station started life after JACK fm was replaced by The Breeze on 107FM in 2017. Sam FM Thames Valley shared all programmes with Sam FM South Coast, which is now owned by Nation Broadcasting.

Sam FM is still on-air in Bristol, Swindon and the South Coast, but Bauer has not yet released any details reagarding the future of the brand.

RadioToday’s take

This appears to be a casualty of Bauer taking control of the Celador Radio group and selling some of the stations on to Nation Broadcasting.

The situation at the former Celador broadcasting HQ in Southampton must be a confusing one, with some staff now working for Bauer (albeit in Hold Separate) and some employed by Nation.

Sam FM South Coast provides programmes for the rest of the stations in the Bauer network, but the station providing the network programmes is owned by Nation.

]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bauer-media-has-closed-down-sam-fm-thames-valley/feed/21https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bauer-media-has-closed-down-sam-fm-thames-valley/RadioDNS consults on a standard agreement for radio logos in carshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/vI9dv-rQ348/
Wed, 06 Mar 2019 11:33:50 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217540<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="800" height="500" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/radiodns.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/radiodns.png 800w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/radiodns-600x375.png 600w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/radiodns-768x480.png 768w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/radiodns-688x430.png 688w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>RadioDNS has commenced consultation with radio stations and car makers to create a common agreement on how radio stations’ content should be presented in the dashboard.

RadioDNS has commenced consultation with radio stations and car makers to create a common agreement on how radio stations’ content should be presented in the dashboard.

The Standard Terms of Use is a template agreement for radio stations and automotive manufacturers which avoids the need to explicitly sign contractual agreements.

The proposed terms were drawn up after discussions with broadcaster and manufacturer members of RadioDNS, and informed by the success of the Creative Commons licensing model, which allows content creators to distribute their content widely, but still retain control on how it’s used and shown.

RadioDNS Hybrid Radio enables more metadata and content to flow from radio stations to cars.

The ambition is for the majority of radio stations and automotive manufacturers to agree to the standard terms, making it easier to create a large network of content without significant legal and paperwork costs.

Automotive manufacturers are keen to use the content that radio stations can provide, but want to understand clearly what radio stations consider acceptable use. The standard terms aim to provide that clarity for both sides, and for radio stations to retain control of how content is used.

Nick Piggott, Project Director of RadioDNS said: “We want radio stations to use the consultation period to tell us if they could offer their content to automotive manufacturers under these proposed terms, and if not, why not. We’ll use that feedback to modify the proposed terms so that as many radio stations as possible can adopt them.”

The consultation document can be found on the RadioDNS website and responses must be received by 12th April 2019. RadioDNS will publish an update after reviewing the responses.

BBC Radio Foyle is marking its 40th birthday with a celebration of the broadcasting legend that was Gerry Anderson.

Gerry first walked through the doors of BBC Radio Foyle in 1984 and quickly established himself as a hugely popular broadcaster.

His programme was soon picked up by BBC Radio Ulster and Gerry went on to become a much-loved household name, before his untimely passing in 2014. The vast majority of Gerry’s treasure trove of programmes lies on the shelves of the BBC NI Archives and now a selection of some of the best from his 30-year career will be available for podcast.

Now launched on BBC Sounds and other podcast providers, listeners will receive five programmes right away on the day, followed by another two programmes every week after that.

Gerry and Sean Coyle take a tour of LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas in 1991; a bus trip with Geordie Tuft to the Ulster Museum in 2010, and an infamous visit to Lord Dunleath’s home in Ballywalter, County Down in 1988, when an antique vase was the unfortunate star of the show.

To celebrate the launch of the podcast, there will also be a brand new series on BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle.

The Anderson Archive begins on Saturday 9 March at 10.30am, featuring highlights from three decades of Gerry’s show alongside a selection of his favourite music.

Each week, Gerry and Sean Coyle put the world to rights while pondering the correct way to use a hatchet, the risks of wearing string vests, the difficulty with ladders and the reasons local men shouldn’t wear shorts. Expect music from Henry McCullough, Doris Day, Anthony Toner and Tom Petty to name but a few, and a lot of laughs along the way.

Conor McKay, who has produced both the podcasts and The Anderson Archive radio series, says: “On Gerry’s show, you never knew what was coming next. On one occasion a listener tried to find four baby chipmunks, another needed help with his love life – while a Tyrone listener needed a cure for a cow with warts on its teat.

“All human life was there, as the saying goes. We hope these podcasts and radio programmes will bring a smile to listeners’ faces. You might even get a few strange looks if you listen on your walk to work or the bus ride home, because you’ll struggle to stop yourself laughing out loud!”

Both The Gerry Anderson Show podcasts and The Anderson Archive will be available to listen to via the BBC Radio Ulster website or the BBC Sounds app and The Gerry Anderson Show podcast will also be on BBC Sounds or your via usual podcast provider.

The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered Bauer Media to run Lincs FM Group, Celador Radio Group and Wireless local stations in England and Wales as stand-alone businesses until an investigation has taken place.

Whilst Hold Separate is active, Carol Edwards will be running the Celador Radio group, Iain Fowler will be running the Wireless stations and Keith Briggs will be running the Lincs FM Group stations. The length of the investigation is unknown at this point.

Bauer tells RadioToday: “The CMA has made some preliminary inquiries into our acquisitions of Lincs FM Group, Celador and Wireless local radio stations in England and Wales. As part of this, it has asked us to “hold separate” and run on a standalone basis the acquired local stations. This is a standard procedural step taken by the CMA when it makes inquiries about completed mergers. Bauer is cooperating fully with the CMA.”

Global entered a similar state when buying GMG Radio – with that process lasting almost two years.

In addition, Bauer has also purchased UKRD Group – with a number of stations in areas already served by Bauer. It’s not known at this stage if this move will also trigger an investigation.

It also has business interests in DAB multiplexes and First Radio Sales.

Paul Keenan, CEO Bauer Media UK and European Radio commented: “These stations are an excellent addition to our business and further extend our reach into completely new areas of the UK.

“This further demonstrates our long-term commitment and belief in commercial radio which has never been so exciting – for both listeners and advertisers. With record revenues for the third year running, the radio medium has grown by a third in the past five years alone, and with its highest share of listening since 2001, commercial radio is in a stronger position than ever before.”

William Rogers, Chief Executive Officer UKRD, adds: “UKRD’s radio stations will make a great addition to the Bauer portfolio and the opportunities that may well present themselves to many of our talented and highly professional people will be greatly enhanced by this acquisition. The inclusion in the deal of UKRD’s interest in FRS ensures that the agency will continue to serve its clients.”

Bauer recently purchased Lincs FM, Celador Radio and Wireless Group’s local radio stations, which will run in Hold Separate until the Competition and Markets Authority completes an investigation.

On this, Bauer tells RadioToday: “The CMA has made some preliminary inquiries into our acquisitions of Lincs FM Group, Celador and Wireless local radio stations in England and Wales. As part of this, it has asked us to “hold separate” and run on a standalone basis the acquired local stations. This is a standard procedural step taken by the CMA when it makes inquiries about completed mergers. Bauer is cooperating fully with the CMA.”

Whilst Hold Separate is active, Carol Edwards will be running the Celador Radio group, Iain Fowler will be running the Wireless stations and Keith Briggs will be running the Lincs FM Group stations. The length of the investigation is unknown at this point.

Global entered a similar state when buying GMG Radio – with that process lasting almost two years.

Scotland now has two “Approved Areas” whilst Wales gets just one following a second consultation on localness rules in the two countries.

Instead of three areas in Scotland – Glasgow & South West Scotland, Edinburgh & The Borders and North Scotland, there will just be North and South. The previous three in Wales – North & Mid Wales, West Wales, and South Wales will all just be one.

These new areas are in line with the proposals in the first consultation, to which objections were raised by Bauer, Global and Nation.

Radiocentre said that Ofcom should approve an all-Wales approved area and move to a single all-Scotland approved area too. The commercial radio body said the plan for smaller areas was inconsistent with the decisions already made on approved areas in England and Northern Ireland.

Bauer Media is the only company which currently holds local commercial radio licences in both North and South Scotland and said the decision for two approved areas in Scotland could have a negative impact on the economic viability and output of stations in Scotland.

Bauer said: “The cultural differences between different parts of Scotland are no greater than those within approved areas in England”, and “requiring us to maintain local studios across the country means that money cannot be invested in Scottish content.”

An alternative suggestion was made from Bauer for Ofcom to allow its stations to co-locate and share daytime programmes across Scotland in return for more Scottish programming,” but this was refused, with Ofcom saying it cannot see how it would work in practice.

One of the respondents, the Scottish Government, reiterated its view that content made in Glasgow should not count as ‘locally-made’ in Edinburgh because the central belt of Scotland is not perceived by audiences as a ‘local’ area.

Ofcom says: “These new approved areas give radio stations in Scotland and Wales greater flexibility in how and where they produce their programmes. But our guidelines make clear that local news, traffic and weather information must still be delivered, irrespective of where a studio is based.

“The changes we are making to rules around ‘localness’ are designed to strengthen the ability of local commercial radio stations to keep producing high-quality, locally relevant services.”

Stations wishing to make changes to their Format which are consistent with the new approved areas will still need to apply for a Format change to effect these changes.

Ofcom reiterated that the location of presenters was not considered to be as important as the delivery of local material, when making its decisions.

RadioToday’s take

The first significant news here is that Edinburgh and Glasgow are now part of the same “Approved Area” for the first time, meaning bases in the two cities would not be required by Bauer Media. Co-location for Clyde and Forth is allowed, whilst West FM and Radio Borders could also close their local studio and move to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Programmes on all stations in these locations could also be shared 24/7.

Northern Scotland keeps the same boundary, but with the new rules could share all programmes with stations in the South, with just a single three-hour daytime show for Tay FM, Moray Firth Radio and Northsound 1.

The other significant outcome here is that the entire nation of Wales is one single approved area. Nation Broadcasting, which holds six local FM licences, can now base all of its services in one building anywhere in the country – something it is already doing through special permission from the regulator.

We are looking at how the new rules affect Global’s plans for sharing programmes within Wales, and will provide more details shortly.

New approved areas. Stations still need agreed format changes to take advantage of the new areas.]]>https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ofcom-makes-decision-on-scotland-and-wales-approved-areas/feed/16https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/ofcom-makes-decision-on-scotland-and-wales-approved-areas/Jonathan Dimbleby moving on from BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/radiotoday/~3/i4AHAw_yhsg/
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/jonathan-dimbleby-moving-on-from-bbc-radio-4s-any-questions/#commentsMon, 04 Mar 2019 11:18:35 +0000https://radiotoday.co.uk/?p=217456<div style="margin-bottom:20px;"><img width="624" height="351" src="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jonathan-Dimbleby.jpg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jonathan-Dimbleby.jpg 624w, https://radiotoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jonathan-Dimbleby-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" /></div>Jonathan Dimbleby is to step down as chair of BBC Radio 4’s political debate programme Any Questions? after 32 years.

Jonathan Dimbleby is to step down as chair of BBC Radio 4’s political debate programme Any Questions? after 32 years.

He first hosted the programme in 1987 and will be leaving in June this year, but is in talks with the BBC to stick around and take on future projects.

Jonathan also presented Radio 4’s Any Answers? between 1988 and 2012, and since 2015 he has also presented the monthly World Questions for the BBC World Service.

Jonathan Dimbleby says: “After 32 years in the chair, I have decided to stand down from Radio 4’s Any Questions? at the end of June. It has been a great privilege to have been in this role for so long and in the great broadcasting institution which is the BBC. It will be a wrench to leave. But the time feels right.

“For more than four decades I have been fortunate to combine presenting, reporting and interviewing for radio and television as well as writing books. I plan to remain as busy in the years ahead as I have been up to now.”

Jonathan began his career as a television and radio reporter for BBC Bristol in 1969, moving on to Radio 4’s World at One in 1970 when he also presented The World This Weekend. For the BBC his numerous television programmes and documentaries have included: BBC One’s On The Record (1987-92), BBC One’s The Last Governor (1997), the inside story of the final five years of British rule in Hong Kong which he wrote, presented and co-produced as he did the five part BBC Two series Russia: A Journey With Jonathan Dimbleby (2008).

In 2010 he wrote, presented and co-produced An African Journey With Jonathan Dimbleby (BBC Two) which was followed by A South American Journey With Jonathan Dimbleby (BBC Two) in 2011 and two part documentary The BBC At War (BBC Two) in 2015.

Tony Hall, Director-General, says: “Jonathan Dimbleby has been an absolutely outstanding presenter of Any Questions? Over more than 30 years he has commanded the respect of the audience and panellists alike. His sharp intellect and chairing skills have made Any Questions? essential listening. While he may be stepping down from this programme, I am delighted that we are in discussion with Jonathan about future projects with the BBC. I shall miss his travels round the country enormously.”

Gwyneth Williams, Controller of Radio 4, says: “Jonathan Dimbleby is one of Radio 4’s most distinguished and familiar presenters and I shall be sorry to see him leave the programme. Radio 4 has benefitted over so many years from the depth of his political knowledge and his great skill as a broadcaster. I know our audience trusts and values his experienced judgement each week as the hugely respected host of Any Questions? Personally I will miss his acumen and enthusiasm as he hurtles around the UK each week engaging audiences in challenging and nuanced exchanges with political leaders.”

The next host of Radio 4’s Any Questions? will be appointed in due course.

Bauer’s latest radio service, Scala Radio, launched as planned at 10am on Monday 4th March 2019.

After a three minute history of the world in audio form, Simon Mayo welcomed listeners to the exciting new sound of Scala Radio, and quoted Alan Fluff Freeman by saying “Greetings music lovers”.

The first music to be played was Prelude to Act 1 from the opera Carmen by Bizet, followed by Dvorak and a string quartet version of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky.

The first 15 minutes of the station, and Simon’s first show, already had references to his ex-BBC Radio 2 colleague Jo Whiley, and the opening words by Tony Blackburn of his former station, BBC Radio 1.

Staff arriving at One Golden Square today – the home of Scala Radio – were greeted with live classical music in reception from London-based classical band three4. The area was also full of Scala branding, merchandise and food.

Bauer told RadioToday: “Bringing together familiar masters along with fresh and exciting new classical pieces, Scala Radio will be presented with an informal ‘come as you are’ attitude. The station will feature special guests, intriguing mini-series and shows about classical music in popular gaming and mindfulness. Scala Radio aims to offer classical music for modern life, the station anticipates explosive growth in the genre and an ever growing cross-over of the genre into the mainstream – the new station will break the mould of classical music radio in the UK.”